Archive for February 2013
John Trumbull’s Capture of the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton shows Monroe wounded. He took a musket ball in the left shoulder.
James Monroe (1758 – 1831)
The 5th President of the United States, 1817 – 1825
AKA: The Era of Good Feelings President, The Last Cocked Hat (because he loved the fashion of the last century)
From: Virginia
College: The College of William & Mary
Married to: Elizabeth Kortright
Children: Eliza, James Spence, Maria Hester
Party: Democratic-Republican
Previous Jobs: Planter, Lieutenant in the Continental Army, Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation, US Senator, Minister to France, Minister to the United Kingdom, Governor of Virginia, Secretary of State, Secretary of War
In His Words: “The American continents … are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers.”
“A little flattery will support a man through great fatigue.”
Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze. Monroe is shown holding the flag.
“Never did a government commence under auspices so favorable, nor ever was success so complete.”
“Our country may be likened to a new house. We lack many things, but we possess the most precious of all — liberty!”
“Preparation for war is a constant stimulus to suspicion and ill will.”
Not true: It’s not true that everyone loved Monroe – though he was an extremely well-liked war hero, statesman and President. He ran unopposed in 1820 and received every electoral college vote except one, which was cast for John Quincy Adams, his eventual successor.
True: James Monroe died on July 4th – just like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
Monroe was in favor of founding African colonies for the return of free African Americans. Those colonies would eventually form Liberia. Its capital, Monrovia, is named in his honor.
Five states were admitted during his Presidency: Mississippi (1817), Illinois (1818), Alabama (1819), Maine (1820), Missouri (1821).
On December 25, 1776, George Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River to attach a Hessian army camped near Trenton, New Jersey. Lieutenant James Monroe was one of two wounded; he was shot in the shoulder rushing an artillery battery.
The Official Portrait: James Monroe was painted by Samuel F.B. Morse, circa 1819. Better known as the inventor of the electric telegraph, Morse was also the first professor of painting and sculpture for New York University.
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Big Mo
If you think a picnic is too unsanitary to enjoy, stop reading now. To enjoy this post, you’ll need to get up to your elbows in dinner. And you will thank me later.
Ingredients
- Zatarain’s Crawfish, Shrimp & Crab Boil in Bag (seasoning)
- 4 lbs of 16-20 (large) shrimp, de-veined, shell on
- 8 ears of corn (fresh is best; frozen can work)
- 24 baby red potatoes
- 4 lemons
- cocktail sauce
- butter or margarine
- salt & pepper
- Add Kielbasa or any pre-cooked sausage for those non-shrimp eaters
- Add crab legs & melted butter (in plastic bowls) if desired.
Instructions
Prepare the table. Put disposable plastic table cloth on table. Cover with brown paper. Can add a layer of newspaper if you like between the paper and plastic to help protect your table from the heat. Place butter or margarine cubes on the paper at each seat. Place seafood sauce, lemon wedges and disposable salt & pepper shakers on the table.
Fill large pot 2/3 full of water. Bring to boil. Squeeze the juice of 2 lemons into the water & add the squeezed lemon halves to the pot. Drop the Zatarain’s seasoning bag into the water.
Once it is boiling, add potatoes & cook until tender, 10-15 minutes. Add corn, and cook 5 more minutes. Add shrimp. Stir. Cook 2-3 minutes until shrimp curl and turn pink.
Drain. Spread the food directly in the center of the table. Spread into a row within easy reach of all guests. It’s advisable to have the guests seated so they can catch the rolling potatoes and corn.
Have fun! No plates allowed, eat off of the paper. Pour cocktail sauce directly on the paper; no bowls allowed.
Clean up is easy. Remove any uneaten food, and then roll everything left on the table into the bottom plastic table cloth, and throw it all away.
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Crab legs were on sale this week!
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Unpeeled shrimp were on sale a couple of months ago … and waited patiently in the freezer.
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Add some Kielbasas for the non-seafood folks.
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Dump right onto the table!
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Steamy goodness
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The beginning of this grand tradition is lost in the sands of time.
I’m sure it was just a casual thing when the kids were young. I was probably desperate for a witness to help convince Velda that she said something that she wouldn’t admit to. Just sayin’.
In any event, the family vote began to evolve.
It’s simple. Really. We sit at the table for dinner. We converse. Someone makes a statement that is controversial for some reason. With that, you state your objection and raise your hand. No words are needed: you just raise your hand. Anyone at the table is free to vote with you … or not. Everyone in the family has led votes, won votes, and lost votes. You disagree with a statement made? You vote. You agree with a statement? You vote. You just raise your hand, and let the chips fall where they may.
Today, the kids are grown. Friends, significant others, and now spouses have joined in votes at our table. When guests first see a vote, they don’t know what to make of our family tradition.
Votes are remembered. They become topics of discussion days and weeks later. People remember when they get support, and who won’t support their votes.
Votes are celebrated. Our extended family and friends revel in leading their first vote.
Votes are entertaining. It’s all in fun. It’s a reality check. It’s another way to stick your tongue out at the annoying people in the family. Politely.
When you win, that is. When you don’t win, well, you become the object of “scorn.”
And it’s all wonderful entertainment, and wonderful fun for everyone.
Next time someone in the family makes a mistake – in your opinion – then you should lead a vote. Good luck!
More
MrsMowry: Ode To Effort
Management and Parenting: Making It Work
Tammy’s Top Ten Reasons To Have Family Dinners
Parentables: If You’re Not Voting Republican, Leave The Dinner Table
1. No More “Check’s In The Mail”
In just 2 weeks. the US Postal Service loses another customer: Social Security checks will no longer be physically delivered after March 1. All “checks” will be delivered electronically … even if recipients don’t request that.
Here’s how the Social Security Administration explains it.
We are forcing our most senior citizens into the electronic age. I’m not against it, but I’m certain this is controversial with a population that doesn’t trust what they can’t physically hold in their hands. Electronic Fund Transfers? Not so much.
2. The Penn State Mess
Here’s what Freeh said in his statement this week: “I stand by our conclusion that four of the most powerful people at Penn State failed to protect against a child sexual predator harming children for over a decade.” That statement is true.
The problem, though, is that Freeh drew many more conclusions that were supported by his prosecutorial opinions, not provable facts. And in spite of that shaky foundation, Penn State agreed to pay $60 million in penalties, which I wrote about, here. The backlash continues, as the Paterno family released a counter-report this week. Now you’ve got politicians calling for another investigation into the original investigation’s findings.
The whole mess is heartbreaking, and it’s still not resolved legally. Only the convicted molester Sandusky is in jail; no one involved in the alleged cover-up has even gone to trial.
And the opinions continue to fly.
3. The Inaccessible President
A couple of weeks ago we learned that Obama often doesn’t take press conference questions from TV networks he doesn’t like … now we learn that he’s avoiding newspapers as a group as well. New media choices continue to make the old media path more and more difficult.
It’s another example of how tightly Obama’s administration controls their image in an effort to shape the national dialogue.
4. 1 in 6 married in 2010 met online
The number of people meeting through friends is declining. Online dating is expensive: up to $60/month to belong to a dating service like Match.com. Read “10 Things Dating Sites Won’t Tell You” from the Wall Street Journal.
Dating just isn’t what it used to be!
5. Watered Down Whiskey. Did’ja Notice?
There was a time that I thought Maker’s Mark was pretty good bourbon. But when I read how they’re watering down their product … well, I’ve purchased my last bottle.
Dear marketers: when it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
6. Parental Mistakes
I’m pretty sure that I am a perfect parent, but here are 3 excellent suggestions on things NOT to do.
7. Gun Control Debate
I’m a former numismatist. Gave it up … but I’m intrigued by efforts to introduce the new dollar coins. Why aren’t you?
Here’s the quick summary: dollar coins are cheaper to make & maintain than dollar bills. If we just lose the bills and convert to coins, the government (that we pay for) would save millions and millions of dollars.
Here’s what the General Accounting Office said in 2012:
Over the past 40 years, many nations have replaced lower-denomination notes with coins as a means of providing a financial benefit to their governments. GAO has reported five times over the past 22 years that replacing the $1 note with a $1 coin would provide a net benefit to the government of hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
These are the 2013 issues of the Presidential Dollar series. The mint is no longer making them for general circulation … until the backlog from prior years is eased into circulation.
There’s research that says Americans are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the dollar bills. Convenience is what matters, apparently.
There’s research that says that when they hear of the cost, though, Americans are 2:1 in favor of converting to the coins.
I’m not a big fan of carrying coins in my pocket, but changing from dollar bills to dollar coins? I’m a fan.
And the Presidential series of dollar coins with the edge lettering are really cool. I’m a fan!
Why aren’t you?
More
Mommy’s Weird – the Canadian penny
The Facts on Why to Switch
The Presidential Coin Program
I like to believe that I have a well-stocked kitchen. If you ask my husband, I have an over-stocked kitchen. This is also true.
I am not alone though! My mother-in-law beats me in this category by a landslide. While our cabinets may overflow with some strange foodie gadgets, asking us to throw one away would be akin to asking us to get rid of a beloved pet. We may not make fresh pasta for every meal, but we do make fresh pasta occasionally!
In large part, it is due to her that I have such strong opinions on what every young cook should have in their kitchen, beyond the basics.
1. A Dutch Oven
Every person should have a dutch oven. Whether it’s a Le Cruset or a 50-year-old iron behemoth from Ebay, it’s a must. A Dutch oven is a great way to slow-cook stews, roasts, sauces, you name it. The thickness of the iron helps cook foods evenly and keeps them hot. A Dutch oven also helps keep meat juicy while you cook it. No one can say no to tender meat!
2. A Food Processor
A food processor doesn’t just help make meal prep faster, it’s a great tool for making salsa, bruschetta, humus, etc. While most food processors are tricky to clean, the time you spend cleaning the Cuisinart is less than the time it would have taken to chop all of those vegetables. Think about it.
3. A Great Set of Baking Pans
If you have crappy baking pans, you will have crappy cookies. Throw away your old, burnt, ugly pans and buy new ones! I love Chicago baking pans. They’re not shiny, they’re non-stick, and they’re durable. I got an entire set for our wedding and I use them for nearly every meal. I even got a roasting pan that made my roasted chicken a family favorite! Invest in a set of Chicago pans, they’re not that expensive and so worth it.
4. A Crock Pot
Now, one could argue that a Dutch oven and a crock pot are basically fraternal twins. They’re not. They’re distant cousins that do two very different jobs. A crock pot is a gift to the working people. Prepare a meal in the morning, set it up in the crock pot, leave it alone all day and have something amazing when you get home. A Dutch oven requires time and attention which are great for a Sunday night dinner that you started cooking at 3 pm. A crock pot, however, requires little effort and has a great pay-off. It’s just so easy.
5. A Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer
I saved the best for last. My baby. The star of my kitchen counter- my Kitchen Aid. I adore this mixer. I’m glad I got married, not only because I love my husband, but because I got this mixer as a wedding shower gift. Velda was the person who gave it to me. Many say that having a stand mixer is a waste of counter space. They say that it just sits around going unused. WRONG. That mixer has helped me make amazing cookies. It’s helped me bake cakes, whisk eggs, beat dough, and make muffins. My Kitchen Aid has helped me smile on a sad day. It made me famous at work for Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. It helped me surprise my husband with tasty treats after a rough day at work. I should probably give it a name. Or take a photo with it. If you want to become a great baker, get a Kitchen Aid. I am a pretty fine baker, if I say so myself and half of the credit goes to my mixer. It’s reliable. It’s sturdy. It has multiple attachments and a flour shield. It has a great warranty and you can buy so many awesome accessories for it! I’ve definitely got my eye on a pasta-making attachment. Needless to say, this mixer is worth it’s hefty price tag.
This is my short list of kitchen tools. I could go on about fancy skillets, garlic presses, rolling pins, or fine knives, but I won’t…at least, not yet. With these five things, you can convince anyone you’re a good cook. Even if you’re not, you can at least prepare decent meals for yourself with very little effort. Incorporating cooking dinners into life can be challenging, especially for the inexperienced. Practice makes perfect! And great tools make everything easier.
It was an incredible gift. The greatest gift. And most people don’t even believe in it. But they want to.
I believe.
I proposed to Velda on our first date. It was love at first sight. Well, not quite first sight … but this is our story.
It was 1974. I had resolved to go to the best college I could imagine attending. For this dirt-poor boy, that was the University of Missouri. I won scholarships, applied for financial aid, got part-time jobs … and stitched together the money to make it work. That was the deal I had with my folks: if I could pay for it, I could go.
When I was one of two in the nation that won the $500 annual scholarship from Dad’s employer, Skelly Oil Company, I knew I could pay tuition and it would all work (yes, $500 was all it took for my annual tuition).
Come August 1974, it was off to Columbia, MO to discover what life had in store for me.
My eyes were opened in amazing ways. My first roommate only lasted a week, then he moved out to become a dorm Resident Assistant. My next roommate … well, let’s just say this Eagle Scout wasn’t cut from the same cloth as that idiot. I moved across campus at the semester break to Hudson Hall, and that proved to be a very, very good move.
I had graduated from Nodaway-Holt High School, in a class of 36. Of those 36, 4 went to Mizzou. All were my good friends, of course, and one of those was Janie, who lived across the street in Schurz Hall. Her roommate was Charity, and Charity had a friend named Velda.
With me so far?
Not sure when I first met Velda, but it was probably February of ’75. She was a friend of a friend of a friend, and I paid her no mind. I was a theatre major and she was, uh, different. She came from the big city, and I’d never even been to the big city. I remember her giving me advice on how to cut my hair (which I disregarded). She was in the same big chemistry class that I was, but it was a big lecture with 400+. That class was a dog fight to get grades, because it was the class required for anyone in the bio sciences: pre-med, bio, PT, nursing … all of high school’s “A” students were in that class. Me, I was the theater major in the honors lab just trying to survive. Velda, she was in a different lab and a totally different place. Again, no connection there.
There was a mixer (AKA dancing to a DJ before that was the least bit cool) at Hudson Hall one night, and I was there. Velda was there with a bunch of people. That night we didn’t talk at all that I recall, but we did have one dance. It was the 70s: we danced to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic “Free Bird.” It was electric. Please, allow me to repeat that. Electric. One dance … and that was that.
Done.
We still weren’t a couple, but I’d never felt anything like that before … or since.
The end of the semester came and we were freshmen no more. I had resolved to return for summer school, as had Velda, come to find out. I was living in a campus dorm; she was in the more expensive private dorm. Neither of us knew anyone else that was at summer school. That first week, I called to ask her out (the first time I had ever called her), and Friday night was our first date.
June 13, 1975.
Instant connection. Instant communication. Instant.
I proposed that night. And she said YES!
We were 18 years old. I was 3 years from graduation, working 2 jobs to pay my bills. A ring wouldn’t happen for another year, and it was not that impressive.
But Velda was. And is.
Love at first sight. I believe.
More
WriteMeg! On HER Love At First Sight
Making Snap Romantic Decisions In The Medial Prefontal Cortex
Kylie Minogue’s “Love At First Sight”
I hate snakes. Hate’em.
The rattlesnake, a reptile found only in the Americas, was the first animal used to symbolize the colonies prior to the creation of the USA.
When the colonies began to chafe under English rule, it was observed that England was sending convicts to America. Benjamin Franklin suggested that we return the favor by sending them rattlesnakes. His thoughts were published in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1751:
“In the Spring of the Year, when they first creep out of their Holes, they are feeble, heavy, slow, and easily taken; and if a small Bounty were allow’d per Head, some Thousands might be collected annually, and transported to Britain. There I would propose to have them carefully distributed in St. James’s Park, in the Spring-Gardens and other Places of Pleasure about London; in the Gardens of all the Nobility and Gentry throughout the Nation; but particularly in the Gardens of the Prime Ministers, the Lords of Trade and Members of Parliament; for to them we are most particularly obliged…I would only add, That this Exporting of Felons to the Colonies, may be consider’d as a Trade, as well as in the Light of a Favour. Now all Commerce implies Returns: Justice requires them: There can be no Trade without them. And Rattle-Snakes seem the most suitable Returns for the Human Serpents sent us by our Mother Country. In this, however, as in every other Branch of Trade, she will have the Advantage of us. She will reap equal Benefits without equal Risque of the Inconveniencies and Dangers. For the RattleSnake gives Warning before he attempts his Mischief; which the Convict does not.”
I like Ben Franklin. And if his plan would have rid the country of snakes, I’m sad it was never implemented.
Known for their fierce response when disturbed, the rattlesnake became a prominent feature on early battle flags in the Revolutionary War. Rattlesnakes were native throughout the original 13 colonies.
A rattlesnake on a flag was first used as a symbol for US Marines attached to the seven ship United States Navy. General George Washington established the navy to make raids on English shipping, and the Second Continental Congress approved the creation of five companies of Marines to accompany the Navy on the first mission. Those Marines, enlisted in Philadelphia, carried drums painted yellow with a 13-rattle rattlesnake and the motto “Don’t Tread On Me.”
Continental Colonel Christopher Gadsden presented what has become known as the Gadsden flag to Commodore Esek Hopkins to serve as the personal standard of his flagship.
For a time, it was thought that the First Navy Jack was used in the Revolutionary War by the Navy, but those accounts were apparently in error. A striped jack was used in the war, but there’s no evidence that it had a snake on it. That tradition took hold, however, and the symbol is now used in today’s US Navy.
Said to be the first political cartoon, Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” illustration was first published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, May 9, 1754. It indicated N.E. for New England at the head, and then identified the colonies in order going south down the coast.
200 men from the Virginia colony fought under this flag in 1775.
Various versions of the Gadsden Flag had an apostrophe (or not), a grass field for the snake to spring from (or not), and the snake facing left or right.
The First Navy Jack is now flown on the oldest navy ship in service: currently the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.
Today, sailors fighting in the war on terror wear First Navy Jack patches on their camouflage uniforms. Other U.S. military personnel, particularly special operations personnel, have worn First Navy Jack embroidered patches as well.
More
Benjamin Franklin, AKA “An American Guesser” on the rattle-snake
Department of the Navy on the First Union Jack
Conservapedia
US Flag: The First
US Flag: The Second
This picture of a Desert Bighorn Sheep was captured at the Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area in northern Los Angeles County. The fencing at the peak is around the “Devil’s Chair.”
This ewe is outside of the range defined by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife … but it’s great to see her on top of her world!
Desert Bighorn Sheep, 2013 photo by Jonathan Numer
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Santa Clarita Hiking Club is having a sheep count! Sleeping gear optional, I assume.
Zachary Taylor daguerreotype, circa 1843-45
The 12th President of the United States, 1849 – 1850
AKA: Old Rough and Ready
From: Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana
College: One of 8 US Presidents not to attend college
Married to: Margaret Smith
Children: Margaret Smith, Sarah Knox, Ann Mackall, Octavia Pannell, Mary Elizabeth, Richard
Party: Whig
Previous Jobs: US Army officer
In His Words: “In conclusion I congratulate you, my fellow-citizens, upon the high state of prosperity to which the goodness of Divine Providence has conducted our common country. Let us invoke a continuance of the same protecting care which has led us from small beginnings to the eminence we this day occupy.”
“It would be judicious to act with magnanimity towards a prostate foe.”
“The power given by the Constitution to the Executive to interpose his veto is a high conservative power; but in my opinion it should never be exercised except in cases of clear violation of the Constitution, or manifest haste and want of due consideration by Congress.”
“I have no private purpose to accomplish, no party objectives to build up, no enemies to punish—nothing to serve but my country.””I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me.
Not true: On the 4th of July, 1850, Taylor was diagnosed with cholera morbus. Ultimately, he died with a diagnosis of gastroenteritis. Was it a snack of iced milk, cold cherries and pickled cucumbers eaten on July 4th? We’ll never know, but he was dead 5 days later.
About 25 years ago, Clara Rising (an author with a theory) convinced Taylor’s closed living descendants as well as the coroner of Jefferson County, KY, to exhume Taylor’s body to see if he had been poisoned. Over 140 years later, we had the answer: no poisoning.
True:
Soon after his election, Taylor was drawn into conversation with a fellow passenger aboard a ship. Taylor realized the stranger did not recognize him when he began discussing politics and indicated he had not voted for him. When the stranger asked him if he was a Taylor man, the newly elected president replied, “Not much of one––that is, I did not vote for him––partly because of family reasons and partly because his wife was opposed to sending ‘Old Zack’ to Washington, where she would be obliged to go with him.”
Despite his 40-year military career, Taylor viewed war dismally, having stated, “My life has been devoted to arms, yet I look upon war at all times, and under all circumstances, as a national calamity to be avoided if compatible with national honor.”
Prior to 1848, Taylor had never voted, nor had he revealed his political thoughts publicly.
He was selected as a Presidential candidate because of his bifurcated appeal: northerners would like his long military record, and his ownership of 100 slaves would lure southern votes. Taylor was the last President to own slaves while in office.
His only son Richard was a general in the Confederate army.
The Official Portrait: Kentuckian Joseph Henry Bush painted this portrait of Zachary Taylor in 1848.
More
The Taylor File, by Clara Rising
Big Mo
New York Times Letter to the Editor, 1991
